Leo Manzano,
the 5' 5" former University of Texas star, qualified for his second
U.S. Olympic team with a come-from-behind first place in the U.S.
Olympic Trials 1,500 meter race. Then he pulled off another
come-from-behind finish to win the Silver Medal at the London 2012
Olympics!

Leo, who immigrated to Austin, Texas from Mexico when he was 4 years
old, is an athlete blessed with superior aerobic capacity and endurance;
and he knows that a healthy heart is at the core of his athletic
success.

Not everyone has his gifts, but he believes there are small steps anyone can take to improve their heart health and that
of their families. He also believes it is very important to provide
young people with a healthy start in life. Leo has poured his passion
into reaching out to the younger generation in his community through
health and fitness programs including The Manzano Mile, a family-friendly physical fitness event open to kids of all ages.

As an ambassador for heart health, he is partnering with the Texas
Heart Institute to share his journey. We'll follow his progress and
cheer him on, while he encourages us to focus on our health and inspires
us to never give up.

Olympic Silver Medal runner Leo Manzano served
as Official Starter for THI's 17th Annual Great Pumpkin Fun Run. See photos.

Why You Need to Participate in the Manzano Mile in 2014By Leah Fisher Nyfeler, Austin Fit Magazine". . . Leo Manzano is so encouraging of the youngsters; he's a partner in a program with the Texas Heart Institute (THI) to get kids started on creating healthy habits. It's called the 7-Day Healthy Heart Challenge for Kids. Basically, kids ages 5 to 13 get tips from Manzano and have access to an introductory program that will help kick-start those healthy changes, such as exercising for 20 minutes and trying a new fruit or vegetable. THI provides interactive resources on the Project Heart website." [See below]